Big Sky Conference

Twin Cities area LB Burns commits to Bobcats

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Willie Howard stressed the urgency of the message he passed along to Onte Burns.

In April, Robbinsdale Cooper High head football coach heard from Montana State defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak. The Bobcats needed Burns to call as soon as possible.

Robbinsdale Cooper linebacker Onte Burns has committed to Montana State/ contributed

Robbinsdale Cooper linebacker Onte Burns has committed to Montana State/ contributed

“My head coach made it seem urgent that I needed to make that call,” Burns said in an interview with Skyline Sports in early July. “I’d never spoken to them at all. At the time, I didn’t have any offers so I was kind of anxious to talk to any college.”

That call resulted in the first scholarship offer for the 5-foot-11, 185-pound athlete. The Minneapolis native has received interest from regional powers North Dakota State and South Dakota State, but other offers have not come.

The sense of urgency conveyed by his head coach resonated. The MSU’s coaching staff stuck with Burns regardless of his other suitors. In June, he gave his verbal commitment to sign with MSU in February of 2018.

“It’s sweet and I’m grateful for what I’ve got right now,” Burns said. “I’m so excited. I really want to go visit, see Montana State.”

Burns pledged to Gregorak before ever stepping foot in Montana. He said getting the decision out of the way is a “sense of relief” and he said he is confident in his choice even if he’s never seen the MSU campus.

“I think that was the hardest part of the decision to make was to not go see the college, but I’ve been talking to Coach Ty for awhile now and I have respect,” Burns said. “His personality, his goals, the trust I have in the process make it ok.”

Montana State defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak/ by Colter Nuanez

Montana State defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak/ by Colter Nuanez

Gregorak, one of the Big Sky Conference’s most well-respected defensive coordinators, has a son in the Twin Cities area so he has taken over helping MSU spread its recruiting territory.

Gregorak lured Minneapolis native Lewis Kidd from the Twin Cities to Bozeman in Choate’s first recruiting class. His straight forward style resonated with Kidd, just like it did with Burns.

“He sold me on the hard work and talking to him as a person, coming to see me, I think it’s more about the personality than anything,” Burns said. “Just be honest with me, be straight-forward. I want you to get to the point and I want you to be honest with me. That’s what Coach Gregorak did and that’s why I committed.”

No statistics are available online from Burns’ junior season. But his highlight film shows an instinctive player with great anticipation skills and the ability to react quickly. The first four plays show Burns baiting quarterbacks before snaring interceptions he returns for touchdowns. The next four highlights show his explosiveness and tackling ability, resulting in sacks or tackles for loss.

Burns played primarily outside linebacker as Cooper posted an 8-2 record that included a win in the first round of the Minnesota AAAAA playoffs. He will likely play safety or nickel back but also could fit in as a situational Sam linebacker in Gregorak’s defense.

Robbinsdale Cooper linebacker Onte Burns has committed to Montana State/ contributed

Robbinsdale Cooper linebacker Onte Burns has committed to Montana State/ contributed

“I’m more comfortable playing linebacker but it’s football; wherever they put you, you should be able to play it,” Burns said.

Burns plans on majoring in business management or construction management. He will be a rarity, a Midwesterner on a team who mostly hails from the Pacific Northwest or California. Burns is elated to get the chance to continue his college career in the Rocky Mountain West.

“I’ve been dreaming of it and I’m grateful, I’m blessed,” Burns said. “I’ve been thinking about this since I was in kindergarten man so I can’t wait to go to Montana State.”

Photos contributed by Burns and attributed. All Rights Reserved. 

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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